Compared to other years, it feels like this year I have seen more movies than I can remember. After starting The Cardinal Review and then landing a position at the Ambler Theater, 2007 has been a great year for giving into my love of the silver screen. Cutting down the list however to make my Top 5 was a lot more difficult. I think between the three of us we can claim a good coverage of the films that were released, but there are still a handful that slipped through the cracks. I am really upset that I did not get the chance to see The Assignation of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (especially since Shane Jenkins of The Bad Splice named it his fav film of the year) and as I write this article, I still have not seen There Will Be Blood. Of the films I did see, though, here are the ones that I am really looking forward to watching again or adding to my collection. And since I do get this prologue to cheat a little, my runner up was The Darjeeling Limited...

5. Hot Fuzz - Maybe it is the fact that I love Simon Pegg, having seen his British shows Spaced! and Big Train and his previous film Sean of the Dead, or maybe it was the time I spent in England, but I am pretty sure that the reason I loved Hot Fuzz is my guilty pleasure of bad action movies. Many have claimed that Fuzz is a poor follow up to Sean of the Dead, but to be honest, I am not much of a zombie flick kinda guy. The in-jokes to Bad Boys II, Point Blank, and the fact that Simon and Nick got to battle Timothy Dalton (who holds a special place in my heart for his Rocketeer villainy) make this the best comedy I saw this year.

4. The Lives of Others - It is rare that a film nowadays can survive on acting alone, especially in the face of computer generated everything. Lives of Others is a brilliant tale about an East German spy who comes to recognize compassion and art through his surveillance of a prominent playwright. Soon to be bastardized by Hollywood, make sure you see this film in its original setting and language.

3. Once - On a whim, I picked this to be one of the films on my list at the Philadelphia International Film Festival this year. I did not watch any trailers or know anything about it, but just booked tickets because it was a night I was free. Once is simply the greatest act of cinematic providence in 2007. An incredible blend of The Frames Glen Hansard's piercing voice and the lilting Czech pianist/singer Marketa Irglova, Once is a simple story of two people who find themselves through an incredible musical collaboration. While I enjoyed Sweeny Todd, John Carney's organic re-creation of the Musical will be a cornerstone of the genre's new future.

2. Into the Wild - My final two films are the meat and potatoes of 2007's film list. As usual, drama trumps comedy and musicals, but there is a reason: insight into humanity and the self-reflexive nature of art. Sean Penn's Into the Wild is nothing short of breathtaking. Emile Hirsh gives the performance of a lifetime, which is a shame since he is so young and is about to undo it with Speed Racer, as Christopher McCandless, a headstrong, social recluse who hitchhikes his way to Alaska and never makes it back. With brilliant camera work and true passion, Penn captured the USA that McCandless sought and the epiphany that he reaches upon understanding his connections to society and the wild.

1. Atonement - Joe Wright's film is magnificent and easily the best film of the year by a long shot. The brilliant adaptation of Ian McEwan's award-winning novel, Wright does the incredible and manages to capture the multiple levels of McEwan's story and translate it into cinematic understanding. A story that is both a heart-rending love story and a more poignant look into the nature and power of fiction, the powerfully choreographed scenes, particularly the uncut, mesmerizing evacuation of Dunkirk, show to what levels modern cinematic brilliance can reach. With a haunting score and impeccable acting, this is one film that should not be missed and that should be watched multiple times.

Another top 5 article?!? Oy! Well, this list is sure to spark some debate. The most important point I want to make about my list is that there is no "number one". As I reviewed the intrepid list of movies released this past year and compared that to the movies I watched, I realized I viewed a distinct sampling of all genres: action, drama, foreign, romance (in a sense), comedy (for certain!) and musical (?!?). I watched some or one of all. And if I forgot a genre, well, go blow it out your nose-hole. I picked the best films that I had the most fun watching and that gave me the greatest enjoyment and I discovered that I chose a film from a different category every time. Proof positive that I watch movies largely based on my mood. So in alphabetical order, here are my favorite films of 2007.

Amazing Grace – Starring Ioan Gruffuud (I know you just tried to pronounce it, I saw your mouth move!), your favorite stretchy man. He portrays the idealistic William Wilberforce. Wilber as he was frequently referred to (after all, England is full of Williams), was a young man without a care, until a day in a field changed his life forever. His mentoring by his minister, John Newton, who became the composer of the most famous song, "Amazing Grace," instilled in him a special value in all human life, which led to his investigations, his expose and lobbying for the end to the awful slave trade. It’s a moving story, with outstanding acting by Gruffuud, Albert Finney, and Michael Gambon. It’s a story that’s sure to remind us that one man can change the world.

Black Snake Moan – I’m a white man. I’m not shy about it, I don’t dispute it, I don’t make excuses, and I cannot dance. But I love the blues. This is a story of love, of loss, of faith and of salvation, the most surprising of which is where the latter can be found. It’s almost a biography of the blues philosophy, if one could chronicle the life of a musical genre. It’s full of soul, of gospel, of faith and of pain, and with a beat that catches you down to the core, I love it, and I loved this rare film.

Juno – My most recent viewing snuck onto this list. As a dark comedy with a touch of romance, the indie Juno has captured the nation and sparked controversy and a tremendous fan following. It’s a touching story of a young sarcastic girl, carrying a tough outer shell to protect her sensitive and tender soul. Juno becomes pregnant and the film chronicles her journeys as a pregnant teenager, in school, in society and deals deeply with the choices she makes and the consequences. Through it all, romance sparks and fades in surprising places. Ellen Page and our favorite Jason Bateman really sparkle on screen. Juno could do what Little Miss Sunshine couldn’t.

No Country for Old Men – The Coen brothers return! And darkness abounds, it’s never been better to watch a movie. And while I don’t think the Brothers Coen can do no wrong, this film is a slam dunk putting them back on the scene with a fantastically dark action/thriller (no I don’t have a mish-mashed phrase to cover both genres). Josh Brolin really hits the mark as the tough but caring hunter who stumbles across a case with two million dollars in cash in the middle of a dozen bullet riddled bodies. What ensues is nothing short of mayhem, especially as the cold and vicious Javier Bardem goes after Brolin for the sheer enjoyment of it all. Tommy Lee Jones is the small town sheriff for whom this is all too much, and can only hope it won’t end up in a mass of body bags. Despite a couple of continuity issues from this purist, No Country still makes the list.

Once – A fantastic tale of love and musical passion between two random hearts in Dublin, Ireland. The movie is woven around the awesome duet soundtrack between our two protagonists Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. As fanciful as the film is, it actually touches on the real meeting of these two. Glen Hansard was touring Europe with his band and stumbled across this classical pianist with an incredible voice and the two collaborated on John Carney’s musical drama. Hansard’s own vocals are sweet and entrancing and the interplay between their two parts was addicting. I saw it, I loved it, I bought 4 albums… okay, we bought 4 albums.

Compared to last year, this was a truly hard decision to select my top 5 films of the year. I had trouble selecting even my top 10 films of the year and to leave off Once, a film I raved about seeing it, was an extremely hard decision. I also couldn’t find the time to see a number of films that I was very intrigued by including Atonement, Into the Wild, 3:10 to Yuma, The Namesake, and The Wind That Shakes the Barley. Compared to other years, this will definitely be a year where I either already own or will own every film on this list, they’re just that good! After all of that, here are my top 5 films of year.

5. Superbad - Compared to the vastly overrated Knocked Up, this is the film that will hold up against the test of time. This film is able to hit those universal moments of high school while being gut-busting funny at the same time. I still laugh every time I think about exactly where Jonah Hill’s back is. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, rent Superbad with some friends and make sure you’re not too hydrated, because you just might wet yourself while you’re laughing so hard.

4. The Lives of Others - Subtitles, yes I know, they really can be a pain to read sometimes while you’re trying to concentrate on a movie, but this film is absolutely worth it. If you really think about it, the film’s story doesn’t take that long to explain, but Others truly shows how the director can take a simple story plus some excellent acting and turn it into an incredibly thrilling film about how perspective and tone can change the interpretation of even the simplest scene.

3. The Bourne Ultimatum - Even with all the great films this year, a good-old summer action film has made the list. You can check out my review for a more in-depth discussion, but an undersized actor really showed us his cojones with the 3rd segment of a triumphant trilogy. This was the perfect summer blockbuster, thrilling yet actually with a plausible plot instead of some flimsy full-of-holes plot.

2. Hot Fuzz - It feels like this DVD just came out yesterday, but I think I’ve seen it easily 10-15 times since. This comedy is different from Superbad, but the jokes come way quicker as long as you pay close attention. If you’ve ever seen a cheesy action film in the ilk of Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys II, and Point Break, then you’ll be loving and laughing at this brilliant film.

1. Rescue Dawn - In this year of incredible films, Werner Herzog has created a beautiful and terrifying film that shows both the savagery and hope of what man is capable of and can inspire to. Christian Bale wasn’t nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance, which was an absolute sin. Let’s hope that the Oscar voters see the light and at least recognize this brilliant film in some way!